Electric switch



Nov. 24, 1931. A. J. MACY 1,832,869

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 22, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 24, 1931. A. J. MACY ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 Filed March 22, 1930 LmMErMUg Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED J. MACY, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BABITONE RADIO CORPORA- TION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed March 22, 1930. Serial No. 437,998.

My invention relates to electric switches of a. rotary type and which may be used in connection with program distributing systems for connecting a reproducer to any pair of a plurality of pairs of lines connected to radio receivers, so that. the user may select any one of a number of programs.

My invention also relates to electric switches for program distributing or telephone systems where it is desirable. that impedances be connected across the pairs of lines connected to a source of power when the lines are not connected to a telephone or other voice-reproducing device. It may also be employed to connect any pair of a plurality of pairs of lines to a load or to a source of power and to simultaneously control auxiliary circuits by auxiliary reciprocating switch means to indicate the position of the rotary switch element.

An object of my invention is to provide a switch having laminated walls made up of a plurality of plates, which may be stamped from thin sheets of insulating material.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch having laminated walls made up of plates stamped from thin sheets ofinsulating material, but so arranged that the number of different shapes ofstampings required has been reduced to the minimum.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch having novel and exceedingly simple means of connecting the rotatable switch element with the rotatable shaft of the switch. 1 Y

i A further-object of my invention is to pro- .vide in a unitary structure a rotary switch capable of connecting any pair of a plurality of pairs of lines to a reproducer together with auxiliary reciprocating switch. means for connecting associated impedance coils,

mounted on the switch, across the pairs of lines not connected with the reproducer.

Other objects and attendant advantages of my invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows;

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of my switch, its shaft and the turning knob therefor being shown in elevation.

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view on line VIII-VIII of Figure 1. Figure 9 is a wiring diagram showing the application of my switch.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 8, the numeral 10 indicates the front plate' of my switch. This plate may be economically stamped from a thin sheet of insulating material and may be made of two thicknesses of material when. a very thin sheet is used.

Other plates of insulating material will be mentioned later, and they too may be stamped from thin sheets. The arrangement of parts to be described is such that although, the

/ front and rear insulating walls of the switchare made up of a plurality of thin plates, yet

the assembled structure is amply stifl and rugged. Lying next to the plate 10 is a plate 11 of insulating material, and this plate has a plurality of slots 12 arranged about its periphery, as shown in Figure 4.

Placed against plate 11 is a plate 13, of insulating material, andlylng against'thls plate is a pair of spaced conductlng segments 14, Figure 3, having a pro]ection 15. The segments 14 are maintained in spaced relation by an insulating plate 40 having a pair of peripheral slots in which the extensions 15 are entered.

Covering the conducting segments 14 is an insulating plate 16, Figure 6, and this plate has a plurality of radially spaced apertures 17, so that a conducting member may pass therethrough to contact with the segments 1n a manner to be described later.

The insulating plates 10, 11, 13 and 16 form the front wall of the switch.

An insulating plate 18, Figures 7 and 8, similar to plate 16 and having a-plurality of radially spaced apertures 19, is positioned in spaced relation to plate 16 to admit of the insertion of a rotatable switch element between them.

Against the plate 18 is an insulating plate 20, similar to plate 11, and having slots 21 in its periphery. Against the plate 20 is the rear insulating plate 22, similar to plates 16 and 18, and this plate also has a plurality of radially spaced apertures. It will now be obvious that the plates 11 and 20 are interchangeable, and that a single stamping will make available a plate for use in the positions occupied by plates 13, 16, 18 and 22.

Referring particularly to Figure 7, the numeral 23 indicates a metallic contact pin having a head 24 and a shoulder 25. The reduced portion between the head and the shoulder lies in a slot 21 in the plate 20, and the head and the shoulder are entered in the apertures in plates 18 and 22 respectively.

Figure 8 shows the manner in which the several insulating plates and the contact segments are held assembled. Tubular members 26 having circumferentially reduced end portions are entered in apertures in the plates and the segments, and the ends of the tubular members are then expanded or pressed.

As shown in Figures 1 and 8, a shaft 27 is mounted for rotation in the assembled plates. The shaft is slotted, as at 30, and apertured as'at 30', and a C-shaped member 29 is entered in the slot 30 and its ends are pressed into the aperture 30 to offer, in effect, a pair of longitudinally extending outstanding members on the shaft. A pair of spaced arms 28 of insulating material, are mounted on the shaft 27, Figure 6, and the, member 29 enters a slot in the armsto compel the arms to rotate with the shaft. v

The arms 28 are held in spaced relation to each other by means of metallic tubular members 31 having circumferentially reduced end portions which are entered in apertures in the arms, near the ends thereof, and the ends of the tubular members are expanded or pressed. I

Housed in the tubular members 31 are metallic ball contacting members 32, impelled outwardly by a spring 33 positioned between them. A pair of telescoping metallic caps with the spring 33 housed in the caps may be substituted for a pair of ball contacting members and the spring shown in Figure 1.

It will now beobvious that as the shaft 27 a is rotated the contacting balls 32 will connect the contact segments 14 with the pins 23, and that with the switch shown in the drawings, it is possible to connect any pair of five pans of lmes connected to the pins with aloud speaker, or other device connected to the air of segments.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a plurality of thin springy contacting fingers 34, secured at one end on the front lower portion of the switch, extend through the peri heral slots in the plate 20 of the rear wall 0 the switch,- and are bent so that they may contact with the shoulder 25 of the pins 23 when not hold out of contact by being pressed downwardly by the tip of the insulating arm 28. The front end of the finger 34 is entered in aslot in plate 11 and clamped between the plate 12 and 13, and an extension of the finger is passed through an aperture in plate 10 and then connected to the impedance coil, by a wire 38.

It will be clear that when the switch is turned to connect a given lower contact pin with the conducting segment, the finger 34 is pushed out of contact with that pin, and the other fingers are in contact with their cooperating pins.

Impedance coils 35 are suitably mounted on the upper portion of plate 10. The wiring diagram, Figure 9, shows how the coils are employed in connection with a program distributing system. The diagram shows five pairs of incoming lines and five impedance coils, but it will be necessary to deal with only one pair of incoming lines in describing to one of the pair of incoming lines and to i the .finger 34 which is held out ofcontact w1th the pin by the insulating arm 28. It Will be obvious that :when the switch is turned to disconnect the incoming lint s from the loud speaker, the finger 34 will contact with the pin 23 and the impedance coil will then. be a load substituted for thatof the loud speaker.

While I have shown my switcli arranged to connect any pair of a plurality of pairs pill 1ncom1ng lines to a loud speaker, or the 1 e, connecting an impedance across the incomin lines whilethey are not connected to the 1011- speaker, it will be obvious that it may be used in telephone and signaling systems other than that discussed. It will also be evident that when the switch is to be used simply as a selector switch, with the contact segments connected to a load or a source of energy, the walls of the switch mady built up of plates similar to plates 11 an and have also shown it as a means for I 'am aware that many changes may be 1.1

' made and numerous details of the construchere therein to impel them into contact withl' tion may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted herein, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

What is claimed is: 1. I11 an electric switch, a laminated wall comprising a plurality of apertured plates of insulating material, means to retain the plates in clamped relation to each other, and a contacting segment positioned in the wall between certain of the said plates and having portions exposed for contact through the apertures.

2. In an electric switch, an insulating plate having a peripheral slot, a contacting member entered in the slot and having outstanding portions engaging the front and rear faces of the plate, and another insulating plate arranged to retain the said contacting member in the slot in the first named plate.

3. In an electric switch, a wall formed of a plurality of apertured insulating plates, one of said plates having a plurality of peripheral slots, contacting pins entered in the slots, the said pins being received by and held against movement by the other plates of the wall.

4. In an electric switch, a laminated wall comprising a plurality of apertured plates of insulating material, a pair of contacting segments positioned in the wall between certain of the said plates and having outwardly' extending portions, and an insulating plate positioned between the said segments and having slots to receive'the outstanding portions of the segments.

5. In an electric switch, a wall, contacting members-mounted on the wall, a shaft journaled in the wall, the said shaft having a transverse bore therethrough, and having a transverse longitudinally extending open slotin one end thereof, an arm mounted on the shaft, the said arm having a longitudinally extending slot, contacting means on the arm adapted to contact with the contact members in the wall, means arranged to removably secure the said arm to the said shaft, the said means including a C-shaped memberentered in the slot in the said shaft and in the slot in the said arm and having its ends entered in the transverse bore in the said shaft.'

6. In an electric switch, spaced front and rear walls, opposed alined contacting members mounted on said walls, a pair of arms mounted on a shaft and between the said walls, tubular .means securing the arms in spaced relation to each other, contacting members slidably housed in the said tulfmlan means, and spring means housed in the tubular means andbetween the contacting momthe contacting members mounted on the walls of the switch.

7 In an electric switch, spaced front and rear walls, alined and spaced opposed contacting members mounted on the walls of the switch, a revolvable switch member positioned between the walls to selectively connect the alined opposed spaced contacting members, a plurality of reciprocable switch fingers extending between the front and rear walls of the switchand adapted to normally contact with the contacting members in the rear wall of the switch, and'means arranged to push thesaid switch fingers out of contact with the contacting members in the rear wall when the revolvable switch member is in contact with the said contacting members.

8. In an electric switch, a plurality of spaced contacting members, a revolvable switch member adapted to be revolved in consecutive contact with the said contacting members, a plurality ofreciprocable switch fingers arranged to normally contact with the said contacting members, and means arranged to push a switch finger out of contact with one of the said contacting members when the said revolvable switch member is in contact with that contacting member.

9. In an electric switch, a plurality of spaced contacting members, a revolvable switch member adapted to be revolved into consecutive contact with the said contacting members, a plurality of reciprocable switch fingers normally in contact with the said contacting members, and means on the said surfaces are traversed by the said revolvable switch arm.

11. In combination, a pair of conducting segments, aplurality of spaced pairs of contact pins adapted to be connectedto pairs of lines, a revolvable switch arm adapted to selectively connect a pair of lines through their connected contact pins in circuit association with the said pair of conducting segments, a plurality of impedance coils, reciprocable switch means normally connecting the said impedance coils across pairs of lines through associated pairs of contact pins, and means operable by the said revolvable switch arm to disconnect an impedance coil and its assoiated reciprocable switch means from a contact pin when the said switch arm is in contact with that contact pin.

12. In a unitary structure, spaced front and rear walls, a pair of conducting segments in thefro'nt wall, a plurality of spaced contact pins in the rear wall, means to retain the walls in spaced relation to each other, a switch arm revolvable between the walls to selectivcly connect the said contact pins with the said conducting segments, a plurality of impedancecoils mounted on a wall, a plurality of reciprocable switch fingers mounted on the front wall and extending to normally contact with certain contact pins on the rear wall, wires connecting the said impedance coils with certain other of the said contact pins and with the said reciprocable switch fingers, and means on the said switch arm to selecti lely reciprocate the said reciprocable fingers.

l3. In'combination, a plurality of pairs oi? lines, a plurality of contact pins connected to the lines, a pair of segments, a revolvable switch member arranged to selectively connect a pair of lines with the said segments by connecting a pair of contact pinswith the said segments, a plurality out reciprocable switch fingers adapted to normally contact with certain of said contact pins, a plurality of impedancecoils each normally connected across a pair of lines in circuit association with a contact pin and a'reciprocable switch finger, and means arranged to disconnect an switch finger,

impedance coil from, its associated pair of lines when the pair is connected to the said pair of segments, the said means including a member on the said revolvable switch arm in operative association with a reciprocable in testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

Illinois.

ALFRED do MACY, 

